The Point Of No Return

The three other passengers took their sweet time getting off the bus, each introducing themselves at a pace that felt agonisingly slow.

"Hello, I am Kang Min-seok," the businessman said as he adjusted his tie and carefully placed one foot on the stairs.

"Do you kids really know the game?" he added, his tone thick with skepticism as he planted his other foot on the ground.

God, this is irritating. Time was slipping through my fingers, and I couldn't decide if this man was worth saving. Why come if you don't believe me?

"Stop wasting time," I hissed under my breath, furiously tapping my toe on the ground like it had personally betrayed me.

Jae-hyun heard me. Without missing a beat, he grabbed Min-seok by the collar and yanked him off the bus, startling both me and the man.

"PLEASE, MA'AM, HURRY UP!" Jae-hyun shouted into the bus.

The businessman stumbled behind us, sputtering protests about his expensive suit. I barely spared him a glance as I grabbed his arm and yanked him further away. "Your suit doesn't matter if you are dead," I muttered flatly. "Wanna end up like that over confident piece of bulk?" I continued pointing towards the dead man inside the bus.

At last, the woman and her child hurried out of the bus. She practically dragged the little girl along as she spoke.

"I'm Choi Eun-jin," she said breathlessly, creeping down the stairs, her hand tightening on her daughter's.

"And I'm Choi Da-on!" the little girl interrupted boldly, clutching a stuffed bunny to her chest. After her declaration, she ducked behind her mother's legs, peeking out with a guarded stare.

The kid was odd. Even in this broken world, even after seeing a man die in a rather agonising way. she still had guts, compared to her, most of the adults looked like pale ghosts. Her voice was soft yet firm enough to demand attention. Her short black hair framed her round face in sharp contrast to her mother's long brown hair and the stress-worn lines carved into her features.

"I'm Jin Ha-rin, and this is Seo Jae-hyun," I said briskly, pointing at Jae-hyun. "There isn't much time. Follow me—I'll explain the rules of the game on the way."

As the words left my mouth, a strange sensation bubbled up in my stomach, rising into my throat. Before I could stop it, I staggered to the side, vomiting rather violently. It felt as if my insides were being pulled out and something had pierced my body.

Jae-hyun was at my side in seconds, his hand rubbing my back. "You okay, Ha-rin? Reality finally catching up to you?" He chuckled, but I could feel the tremor in his hands.

"Y—You don't need to console me," I muttered, wiping my face. "I'm not the little kid I used to be." I looked up at him and added, "If you're scared, say it. Saying it out loud helps, you can depend on me too, you know?" 

"This friendship goes both ways."

A faint smile tugged at my lips. Jae-hyun, meanwhile, looked as though he'd been struck by lightning—a maiden wooed by the vomiting prince.

But the moment didn't last. I straightened and turned toward the towering skyscraper. "Let's go," I said, leading the group to the front doors.

The passengers still on the bus watched us go. Some looked on with longing, as though they'd missed their chance. Others stared at me in disgust. I didn't blame them. Even I couldn't explain why I'd thrown up.

Was fear really crawling up my spine? Or was it something else…

The building's lobby was a cavernous void of emptiness. No furniture, no decorations, not even a stray piece of trash. Just two staircases on opposite ends of the room, and the low, ominous hum of… something.

"Here's the deal," I said, turning to the group but feet still moving. "First. The objective is simple: get to the roof. You've got thirty minutes to do it. We have a slight head start since we skipped the PA's spiel, so we have about thirty-five minutes total."

Min-seok wasn't even paying attention. I felt a flicker of anger but pushed it aside. Eun-jin, on the other hand, was hanging on to every word. Her little girl clung to her side, her wide eyes darting nervously between us.

"Second," I continued, "every ten floors is a special one. These floors have a theme. I don't remember all of them, but I do know this: they're dangerous. Crossing them won't be easy. Stay sharp."

We continued to move through the lobby, swiftly covering the rather large hallway moving towards the right hand stairs. If memory serves me right, that should be the easier path.

"How do you even know this all?" Min-seok's voice echoed from behind me. Doubtful as always. This was the second time in less than three damn minutes.

"As I said, I'll explain later." 

"I have a pregnant wife at home, and I'm following a teenager with a plan he won't even explain." he snapped back, I honestly wanted to punch his face right there but held back.

"You do realise you are not the only one with family right? I get you are tensed but if you decided to follow them you must have seen something right? So just shut up and follow for now. He seems to know what he is doing anyways." Eun-jin said in a rather angry tone. Her brows furrowed into a resentful knot.

My eyes dragged to my surroundings for a second. Eun-jin said I knew what I was doing. But did I? It was one thing to read about this in a novel. Living it was a different beast altogether.

We finally reached the stairs, I paused for a second to catch my breath. My calves, starting to burn. Jae-hyun looked fine, but the rest of us were already winded, sweat starting to bead on our foreheads. Curse and bless an athlete's stamina.

"Jae-hyun," I said, "you're the only one with enough energy. Carry Da-on."

"What?" he said, glaring at me.

"You heard me. You're the strongest here. She's just a kid."

He sighed in annoyance but knelt to Da-on's level. He had always been like that. In the thirteen long years I'd know him, he'd complain at first but pull through in the end anyways.

"Come on," Jae-hyun said, his voice softer now. "Hop on."

"Mommy, Da-on doesn't want to go," the little girl whispered, hiding behind her mother. Still clutching her toy with a defensive stance, as if it was her entire world.

Eun-jin crouched beside her daughter. "It's okay, sweetie. Oppa will take care of you," she said gently, placing a reassuring hand on her head, caressing her hair.

Reluctantly, Da-on let herself be lifted onto Jae-hyun's back. He adjusted her weight and glanced up at the looming staircase. "Hold on tight," he told her.

We started to climb. The stairs stretched endlessly before us, and I counted the steps to keep my mind focused. One… two… three…

Sixteen steps per half flight. Thirty-two steps per floor. Thirty floors.

This is going to be hell.

When we reached the first landing, we were greeted by a white metal door and a blocked staircase.

"Ah, damn it," I muttered under my breath. "I picked the wrong stairs."

The group turned to me, their faces a mixture of exhaustion and exasperation. Their expressions screamed, What the hell do you mean by 'wrong staircase'?

"Third rule," I whispered, holding up three fingers. "Only one staircase leads to the next floor." 

I was hoping to pick the one that went straight to the second floor but oh well, this is what the extra time is for,

I gestured to the blockade before us. "The wrong ones are barricaded like this. Worst part some of these are loose, and the creatures behind them? Let's just say you don't want to see them. So be quiet, we'll have to cross to the other side of this floor to find the correct staircase. These little detours are part of the trial."

I sighed, sitting on my heels to catch my breath. The frustration in their eyes was palpable, but I didn't have the energy to address it. Min-seok opened his mouth to say something but one glance from Eun-Jin was enough to shut him up. 

Just then a guttural laugh echoed from behind the barricade, sending chills down my spine. Through the small gaps in the wood, separating us and the creature a set of glowing yellow eyes peered contrasting with the swelling darkness inside, it's claws scratched the wood like an impatient puppy trying to get out.

"Let's move," I said, pushing myself back up. We had a long way to go, and time wasn't slowing down for us.

[Time left: 34 minutes and 21 seconds]